Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks head into Boston for Game 5 with the series tied at 2-2.
It’s wild to be this deep into the conference semis and have our first elimination game. Three of the four series were sitting at 2-2 after Game 4, and it’s been fun watching these teams battle. I honestly have no clue who the title favorites should be at this point, and that’s all we can ask for as NBA fans!
This slate features the one 3-1 series we have. That’s the Golden State-Memphis matchup, and it looks like the Grizz won’t hang around much longer without their best player. With that said, let’s take a look at the injuries for this critical card!
Injury Report
- Ja Morant (knee) Doubtful
- James Wiseman (knee) OUT
- Gary Payton II (shoulder) OUT
- Khris Middleton (knee) OUT
- Robert Williams (knee) Questionable
Core Plays
Giannis Antetokounmpo (PF/C – MIL): $11,600 DraftKings, $11,500 FanDuel
Giannis will be in this article every game as long as his team is alive. The former MVP has scored at least 39 DraftKings points in all but three games this season. He’s been even better in this series, scoring at least 64 DraftKings points in three of his last four games. That’s not far off of his absurd averages, making Antetokounmpo the best core play on the board.
Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
Jones was in every lineup on Monday, which will be the case here. We usually try to fade the chalk, but this is chalk that you have to swallow. The point guard has started 24 games for Ja this season, averaging 30 DK points per game. He had one of his best fill-in performances in Game 4, collecting 37 DK points across 41 minutes. Anyone starting at point guard and playing 40 minutes should never remain this cheap.
Cash Game Considerations
Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C – MEM): $6,700 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
Jackson has one of the highest upsides in the NBA, and he’s been showing it in this series. JJJ has scored at least 28 fantasy points in five straight games, posting a 39-point average in that span. That’s incredible from a player in this price range, but it’s no surprise since he leads the team with a 31 percent usage rate with Morant off the floor. He’s also averaging over 1.3 DK points per minute in these circumstances, making him the best GPP play out there.
Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
Big Al was Boston’s best player in their Game 4 win. He finished with a playoff career-high 30 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. He had to step up with Williams out of the lineup, leaving him with all the minutes, rebounds, and shot attempts he could handle. That marks his fourth straight game with at least 37 DK points, and it’s hard to overlook his 45-point average in that span.
GPP Targets
Dillon Brooks (SG/SF – MEM): $5,600 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
Brooks was the worst player in that Game 4 defeat, but he will be a focal point of this offense with Morant sidelined. He attempted 19 shots in that game and finished with 31 DK points, despite making just five of those shots. If he plays 40 minutes and takes 20 shots, Brooks needs to be $1,500 more on each site. He was that guy in last year’s postseason, and Memphis needs that player to emerge if this series lasts much longer.
Steven Adams (C – MEM): $3,400 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
Adams made a surprise start in Game 4, but it looks like he will be the one to fill the Morant role. He’s obviously not going to handle the ball, but he appears to have recaptured the 30-minute starting role that he had in the regular season. The Kiwi dropped 38 DK points across 27 minutes in that return, and Adams has proven to be that sort of player for the majority of the season. As long as this rebounding machine plays 30 minutes, Adams should never be $3,400 on DK.
Value Plays
Draymond Green (PF/C – GSW): $6,200 DraftKings, $6,000 FanDuel
Green is probably too good to be in this section, but he’s just too cheap right now. The undersized center averaged 31 DK points per game in the regular season and provides value whether he hits shots or not. His numbers are much better with Curry in the lineup, too, and all of that means that Dre is about $1,000 too cheap.
Marcus Smart (PG/SG – BOS): $5,900 DraftKings, $6,300 FanDuel
Smart is another guy who’s too affordable. The Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 31 DK points per game across his last 32 outings. He showed that in Game 4, dropping 36 fantasy points across 41 minutes of play. With the way this guy hustles, Smart should be a $7K player on both sites if he’s playing 40 minutes a night. That’ll surely be the case in this must-win Game 5!
Advantageous Pricing
- Tyus Jones (PG – MEM): $4,900 DraftKings, $5,700 FanDuel
- Jaren Jackson Jr. (PF/C – MEM): $6,700 DraftKings, $7,600 FanDuel
- Al Horford (PF/C – BOS): $7,300 DraftKings, $7,900 FanDuel
- Steven Adams (C – MEM): $3,400 DraftKings, $5,300 FanDuel
- Jrue Holiday (PG- MIL): $8,200 DraftKings, $8,800 FanDuel
- Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $7,400 DraftKings, $6,200 FanDuel
- Brook Lopez (C – MIL): $4,800 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel
- Pat Connaughton (SG/SF – MIL): $3,800 DraftKings, $4,900 FanDuel
- Otto Porter (SF/PF – GSW): $4,200 DraftKings, $4,800 FanDuel
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.
